NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has captured a rare view of Mars’ smaller moon Deimos, which was recently observed by the rover’s left navigation camera. The image, taken on March 1, 2025, shows Deimos travelling across the pre-dawn Martian sky in unprecedented detail.
However, the challenging low-light conditions resulted in considerable digital noise and haziness throughout the image. Despite this, the celestial scene successfully captured not just Deimos but also two prominent stars from the constellation Leo – Regulus and Algieba – shining brightly against the Martian night sky.
Meanwhile, ESA’s Hera planetary defense mission conducted a Martian flyby on March 12th, capturing images of the Martian surface and Deimos too. The spacecraft used the planet’s gravity to redirect itself towards its final destination while conserving months of travel time and significant fuel.
The Perseverance rover continues to explore the Martian landscape, making key discoveries in geology and atmospheric science. Recently, it captured the first-ever visible-light aurora on Mars, an observation made possible by solar activity and Mars’ lack of a global magnetic field.
The rover has also been collecting rock samples, including a significant core containing serpentine minerals, which hint at past water activity and potential ancient microbial life. The recent image of Deimos offers a rare and poetic glimpse of Mars’ celestial surroundings, highlighting the growing international effort to explore Mars and its moons.
As Perseverance continues to explore, it is paving the way for future exploration and sample return missions. Its discoveries are deepening our understanding of the Red Planet while setting the stage for the next generation of exploration.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/perseverance-sees-deimos-in-the-sky